The IRS has more than 50,000 content pages at www.IRS.gov but it's not stopping there.

"We're looking at building a new portfolio of electronic products," Tom Davis, acting chief of staff for Electronic Tax Administration, told tax professionals at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum in Dallas last month. The ultimate, although admittedly improbable, goal is to drive all service to the IRS Web site.

The agency has made major strides in this area. But it knows it's now at a crossroads, especially when it comes to the activity that affects every taxpayer: filing tax returns.

When it comes to filing, 51 percent of tax pros told the IRS they e-file all or most of their client returns. That, of course, means 49 percent of tax professionals file all or most of their client returns via paper.

Millions of folks also prepared and e-filed their returns themselves this filing season, much to the IRS' glee. But the number of tax pro e-flings this year was essentially flat. And since more and more of us are turning each year to tax professionals for filing help, that stalled number is not good news for an agency that's been ordered by Congress to get 80 percent of us filing electronically ASAP.

"E-filing is leveling off," said Davis. "It mirrors e-banking in that individuals seem to have reached a comfort-level plateau."

Money matters: The IRS is well aware that one big e-filing obstacle is cost.

From the IRS' perspective, e-filing really pays off. It's much more cost-effective for the agency to process an electronically filed return than a paper one, 35 cents per e-filing vs. $2.87 per paper form.

For many taxpayers, though, e-filing typically means we must pay. So some folks opt for the cheaper postal delivery method. "We know the e-fling fee is a barrier," said Davis.

This filing season it wasn't so much of problem. The major tax software manufacturers absorbed the e-fling fee or rolled it into their overall package cost rather than charging it separately. That seemed to pay off for filers as well as the IRS, which, by the time the Dallas Tax Forum was held in early September, reported that 93 million returns had been e-filed.

But Uncle Sam knows better than to count on private industry to carry the no e-file fee load alone forever. So the IRS is examining possible e-file financial incentives. Here are some that Davis addressed in his Tax Forum session.

Reward paper convertersOne perennial suggestion is to reward current paper filers who switch to electronic submissions. "But is that fair to e-filers who have e-filed for years?" asked Davis.

Reward e-filersSo how about rewarding e-filers somehow? One idea is to give electronic taxpayers more time to file. Folks who send in paper 1040s, for example, would have to do so by March 15, while e-filers could wait until the traditional April 15 deadline.

Of course, in addition to irking taxpayers, tax professionals might (probably would) balk at having a large chunk of their work compressed.

Make tax pros e-fileAnother option is to force all tax professionals to file all their client returns electronically. "It would get us to the 80 percent [mandate] the quickest," acknowledged Davis.

But he noted that such an order is not likely until MeF, or the modernized e-file platform discussed in IRS, tax pros preparing for 2010 e-filing, is fully implemented. Some components will be available in 2010; the full MeF program is expected to be in place in 2012.

Expand Free FileA very popular idea, at least among taxpayers, is to expand the Free
File program to higher income taxpayers. For 2009, filers with adjusted
gross income of $57,000 will be able to use the private-public
partnership's free filing option.

But whether that nudge up the income ladder will help is unclear.
Participation in the Free File program has been decreasing over the
last few years. In 2009, Davis said, it suffered "a significant drop"
in usage.

One explanation is that taxpayers eligible to use Free File this year instead chose other electronic options, such as personal software that, as noted earlier, included no-fee e-filing.

Develop IRS filing softwareThe IRS offered a new Free File option in 2009, the fillable forms. But
the option still was offered by outside vendors, not directly by the
tax agency.

The available forms also were generally basic ones and
didn't include any software component, which meant the taxpayer had to
have some tax expertise.

Although a relatively minuscule number of filers used the fillable forms this year, the option will continue in the 2010 filing season.

But rather than quiet the cry for
a full-fledged IRS version of tax software, the ability to directly fill out and file IRS forms has caused many to renew their calls for an IRS equivalent of TurboTax or TaxCut.

The big problem here is
cost. The bigger problem is providing sufficient and reliable customer support for such a program.

Also many (most) folks might be skeptical of an IRS created and operated software. "People would ask, 'Can we trust the IRS to give us all the deductions we get from TurboTax?'" said Davis.

Slow but steadyThe bottom line is that the IRS will continue on its current electronic
track, tweaking e-file options and working with tax preparers, software
companies and via public outreach to get a few more of us to give up
the tax paper route.

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KB-

I would gladly electronically file federal returns for my clients if I could do so free of charge, without having to purchase expensive and flawed tax preparation software, and without having to give my fingerprints to the government as an ERO.

I currently file my NJ state tax returns electronically, when appropriate, as I am required by state law to do, using the state's NJWebFile system, which is available to all NJ full-year resident taxpayers free of charge on the NJ Division of Taxation website.

Weekly Tax Tip

10 tax moves to make by Dec. 31 — December's arrival means that it's time to make some year-end tax moves. This year, several traditional tax-saving steps take on new urgency since they could soon be gone under tax reform legislation nearing enactment. (Dec. 6, 2017)

Check out all the latest post-April 18 tax advice in the 2017 edition of Weekly Tax Tips. Since we've all finally filed our 2016 taxes, most of these tips now will focus on moves to cut your 2017 tax bill. If, however, you're looking to amend an old return or just want more tax tidbits, feel free to peruse this year's Daily Tax Tips at their respective filing season monthly pages: January, February, March and April.

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Tax Year 2017 CountdownIt's over! The final 2016 tax year extended filing deadline has passed. Now it's time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2017 tax bill. Most of them must be made by Dec. 31, or for some transactions by the last business day of the year, which is Friday, Dec. 29, since the 31st is on a Sunday. This countdown clock will make sure you don't miss these crucial tax deadlines. Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

Ho, Ho, Ho! You better watch out. You better not cry over taxes. Santa's watching you and all the tax moves you make in December.

Click image to watchSanta's delivery route.

OK, maybe Santa doesn't really care about your taxes, but he does know if you're naughty or nice, so you'd better be nice, especially when it comes to taxes! So let's get to some tax moves to make this December that will keep you on the good list kept by both Santa and the Internal Revenue Service.

Dec. 1: The last month of the tax year starts with a bit of tax uncertainty, but not about 2017 tax laws. Instead, we're waiting to see what type of tax cuts and/or tax reform Congress might approve (or not). While any changes will predominantly affect the coming 2018 tax years, some of the new laws could have an impact on what we need to do by Dec. 31. So with just 31 days to go, let's get started on making some tax-reform influenced year-end tax moves.

Dec. 5: Did you get a part-time job to earn extra cash for the holidays? If you're paid as a contractor instead of as an employee, remember that you'll be responsible for income taxes due on the money, as well as any self-employment taxes. The same tax considerations also apply if you're part of gig economy, but you'll also want to check out ways to maximize your side hustle earnings.

Dec. 15: Have you been riding the still-climbing stock market roller coaster this year? Then you probably/should have some capital gains you can take. The tax rate for long-term holdings is lower than your ordinary income tax rate, but you can reduce or possibly zero out any tax if you also had some stock losses. You also might want to sell profitable holdings in order to reset your basis.

Dec. 19: Education tax breaks might change under tax reform, so consider paying tuition now for 2018 classes that will start in the first quarter of next year. That way you'll be able to use those costs to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

Dec. 22: It's the last weekend before Christmas! That means holiday treats, final decorations and frantic last-minute shopping! If you decide to go big this holiday, a major purchase like a car, boat or airplane (and more) could mean added sales tax you might be able to deduct as an itemized expense. I'm not trying to push you to a dealership, but the House and Senate tax bills are calling for elimination of the state and local income and sales tax deductions, so this might be the last year you can claim this tax break.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve! No taxes tonight. It's early to bed for kiddies of all ages. Santa's on his way!

Dec. 25:Merry Christmas! My gift to you is another day without tax thoughts. Just enjoy the holiday and your family and friends.

Dec. 26: Happy Boxing Day. This unofficial holiday on St. Stephen's Dayis celebrated by additional giving. If you donate to your favorite charity on this day or by the end of the year, you can claim the itemized deduction when you file your return next spring … as long as you follow the donation tax rules.

Dec. 31: This is it. The drop-dead deadline to make most 2017 tax moves. So do a quick check.

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ...

Taxes are all about the numbers.
Check out these (mostly) weekly By the Numbers figures.

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AKA Disclaimer:

I am a professional journalist who has been covering tax issues since 1999. I am not a professional tax preparer. The content on Don't Mess With Taxes is my personal opinion based on my study and understanding of tax laws, policies and regulations. It is provided for your private, noncommercial, educational and informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation of any specific tax action(s) you should or should not take. Similarly, mentions of products or services are not endorsements. In other words, my ramblings on the ol' blog are free advice and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it comes to filing your taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent or other qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.